Amanda Ramblings

2008-07-16T09:41:00.001-07:00

The Romance Divas annual Not Going to Conference Conference will make you feel a bit less deprived! Amazing workshops, a star-studded guest list and awesome giveaways, all on the Diva forum! Don't miss it!

Coordinated by Seeley deBorn!

Here's a bit of a schedule update for the Q&As and Workshops...

Wednesday, July 30

Paula Guran, Editor, Juno Books
Q&A on Creating Kick a** Heroines

Laurie Rauch, Editor, Samhain Publishing
Workshop on What Happens After the Contract (aka Editors are People Too!)*

Thursday July 31

Joyce Hart, Hartline Literary
Q&A on Inspirational Romance Stories and the Inspy Market

Sandra Schwab, Historical Romance Author
Workshop on Historical Accuracy and Anachronisms

Friday, August 1

Yolanda Sfetsos, Author of Guarded by Stone
Q&A on Paranormal and Urban Fantasy World Building

Katie MacIver, KatieDidDesign
Workshop on Website Design and Color Selection

Saturday, August 2

Joey W. Hill, Erotica Author
Workshop on Plotting Erotica and Erotic Romance

Rhonda Stapleton, Editor and Author
Workshop on Style and Voice

Excited yet?

How about if I list some door prizes?

What Gwen said" mug donated by Gwen Hayes
3-chapter critique of a YA by Simon Pulse author Rhonda Stapleton
3-chapter critique of a YA, chick lit, or rom com by Golden Heart Finalist Amanda Brice
An ebook of your choice from Nell Dixon's backlist
An ebook of either Second Sight (paranormal romance) or Dragons' Choice (fantasy romance - dragon-shifters) from Debbie Mumford
Ten dollar Amazon gift certificate from Jodi Henley
Lush stuff from Seeley deBorne
e-book copy of Chasing Shadows from Erin Richards
Paperback copy of Iron Horse Rider OR Smiling Eyes from Adelle Laudan
Book thongs from Angeleque Ford
3 chapter critique from Sela Carsen
winner's choice of ebook copy of "Not Quite Dead" or "Heart of the Sea" by Sela Carson
e-book copy of HEATWAVE by Eden Bradley
e-book copy of BREAKING SKYE by Eden Bradley
a box of goodies, trade and paperbacks, bath products candles, etc... All for a fun and relaxing home spa day treat. courtesy of The Midnight Moon Cafe
1 download each of Natasha Moore's Samhain books, The Ride of Her LIfe and The Passion-Minded Professor
a copy of "Painted Soul" by Mary Quast
e-book copy of HER CINDERELLA COMPLEX by Jenna Bayley-Burke - Samhain
e-book copy of PAR FOR THE COURSE by Jenna Bayley-Burke - Samhain
e-book copy of FOUND by Jenna Bayley-Burke - Wild Rose Press
e-book copy of NIGHT OF INSPIRATION by Jenna Allen - Phaze
e-book copy of ON AGAIN by Jenna Allen - Phaze
$10 gc to Amazon from Kendal Corbitt
ebook Vampire Oracle: Harmony by MG Braden

Ebook ARC, Art of Sensuality by Jax Cassidy

Plus a lovely bar of wonderful Chagrin Valley hand made soap, Caramel Pralines jar candle, handmade jewelry, Tarot readings, a Lush box for European Divas/Dudes, a $10 fictionwise gc and much more!

2008-01-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

Primaries and Elections...

Today's the primary vote in Michigan. And coming up is Nevada and South Carolina.

Lesser known, and definitely not as important to the nation, but important to me (and to the recipients of the charitable donations) is the Predators and Editors Poll.

Have you voted yet?

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/antho.shtml

My charity anthology, DREAMS & DESIRES, is up for best anthology of 2007, and you can help us win! Just vote for us TODAY, January 15!

100% of the proceeds from sales of this anthology are donated to a battered women's shelter in Florida. We'll be releasing Dreams & Desires 2 on Feburary 1, and the proceeds will be donated to a shelter in California.

For more info about this anthology, or to purchase it, go to:http://www.freyasbower.com/content/view/132/77/

It's really good! But don't take my word for it. Mrs. Giggles chose it as her favorite anthology in 2007. She gave it a 90, which might as well be a perfect score, coming from her! And Affair de Coeur magazine adored it as well.

2007-12-04T06:54:00.001-08:00

Nutcracker!

Have I mentioned that I was in the Center Dance Company production of the Nutcracker this weekend? I was a "Party Mom" (a mother in the party scene in Act I) and it was a blast. It was mostly acting (well, pantomime, really) rather than dancing, although we did do a short ballroom dance.

This picture is a "family portrait" of my stage family: my "husband" Michael and my darling daughters. It was a lot of fun.

Our version was set in Washington, DC in the 1940s. Clara's father is a Senator, and one of the Party Dads said that he likes to think of his character as the junior senator from that state, so we decided to give outselves roles. I guess it's a super progressive 1940s, because I decided I'm the Attorney General.

I'll post some more once I get the professional photos from the performance.

2007-11-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

Who Will Win Dancing with the Stars?

Tonight's the night...who will win? Will it be Indy 500 driver Helio Castroneves, Spice Girl Mel B, or entertainer and doll designer Marie Osmond?

I can tell you this right now...I will not watch this show anymore if Marie wins. Why? Can you say "Sanjaya"????? Dear lord, that woman is painful to watch. I honestly can't understand what the appeal is. People seem to actually think she's entertaining to watch. I don't get it.

Last night, her samba was like a bad caricature of a samba. I could do a better job the first day I learned the samba, and yet she's been rehearsing for weeks. It wasn't her first samba either. Gawd, it was awful.

And her freestyle? Ugh. Although I do have to admit that for once her stiffness and clunkiness was a good thing, considering as she was dressed as a lifesize wind-up doll. Can the woman just PLEASE point her toes for once? Please? And her lifts stunk.

I really hope that Helio wins, although I won't be crushed if Mel wins. But I definitely think Helio outperformed Mel last night. His freestyle was incredible and I really liked his jive, too. Mel's cha-cha was kinda boring and her hip hop was almost a little too ladylike.

But like I said, I won't mind if she wins. She's definitely a very good dancer. I think she was better in the other weeks, but I wasn't super impressed by her last night.

Did you see Marie's reaction when her samba got three 8's? LOL! She actually looked shocked. To be honest, I think those were sympathy scores from the judges...I wouldn't have given her any higher than three 6's (if even that high).

So who do you want to win?

2007-11-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Halloween Costume Fun!

This is me and Mr. Brice in the costume we wore to his friend's Halloween party. We went as a Dancing with the Stars couple. (This is the tango.)

I actually brought along a costume change, but not on purpose. I was searching for a shawl just in case I got chilly, and found my old latin costume from when I used to compete. I tried it on, but, well, let's just say that it used to fit a lot better 7 years ago. But I brought it along in my purse (yes, it's that small...not much material in those things) to show my friend, and she decided that I needed to put it on, so I told her I would if I got drunk enough.

I didn't bother taking pics of that one, though.

Anyway, I think Mr. Brice & I look cute. He wanted us to be a Boston Red Sox fan couple, but I thought that was boring (this was the night before they won...a week ago yesterday), so I vetoed that idea. He finally agreed to do DWTS, since all he had to do was wear a black shirt and black pants.

2007-10-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

I'm Done With DWTS

So done.

I've been addicted to this show since it first premiered a few years ago and have even attended the live stage show. I even created my own teen celebrity version of it for my dance mystery series.

But I'm done watching. Done.

It's such a crock when the most talented dancer gets sent home. What is wrong with the American public that they'll vote for their favorite stars even when they aren't any good, and let the ones with talent go home?

The American public gets WAAAAAAAAY too much power on this show. It should be like the way it's on "So You Think You Can Dance" where the public votes and there's a bottom 3, but then those in the bottom 3 get to do freestyle solos and the judges choose who leaves from them. That would make much more sense and you'd actually end up with talent on the show.

The way it currently is, you end up with a junior high popularity contest. What other possible way could explain keeping Marie Osmond around? Apparently she said that fans need to vote because the "judges are picking on the older chicks." Honey, if the judges were criticizing you, it's because you simply can't dance. Your paso was the most pathetic excuse for a paso I've ever seen in my entire life. And Jane's jive wasn't much better. Believe me, Marie, if anything, the judges were being kind and gentle with you. There's no way you should have scored more than a 4 from any of the judges on that ridiculous routine.

So anyway, the American public sent the most talented dance home last night, Sabrina Bryan. I heard some people complain that they didn't think she should be on the show because she already had dance training. So what? This might come as a surprise to you (it shouldn't), but most actresses and singers have dance training, even if it's just a little bit. I am willing to bet that all of the women on that show have taken dance training before they went on DWTS, even if it wasn't serious. It's a normal part of being a performer, and anyway, the rules don't state that the show is about taking someone with zero talent and turning them into a superstar. It's just about taking celebrities out of their comfort zone and giving them a short itme to learn ballroom dances. (And hip hop as a teenager or ballet lessons when you're younger doesn't necessarily mean you'll be good at ballroom.)

The show should celebrate the best dancer. NOT the one who can solicit the most votes.

I'm guessing that Cheetah Girl fans aren't allowed to stay up late enough to vote. Or maybe their parents won't let them vote. Or maybe they have the same problem I have: you're supposed to get as many votes per phone line as the number of dancers left, yet when I make my very first call, they tell me that I've already used up all my votes. Huh? Yeah, if you count votes I made LAST week. Needless to say, I didn't get to cast a single vote this week.

2007-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Dancing with the Stars

If you've read my blog regularly (and I know there hasn't been ANYTHING to read at all lately...sorry!), then you know that the YA mystery series my agent has been shopping for me is set at a performing arts boarding school. We've gotten some Hollywood interest lately, because the first book takes place behind the scenes of a Dancing with the Stars-type show for teens.

OK, I admit it. I'm a DWTS junkie. I'm not ashamed of this fact, either. I have an excuse...it's research for my books, but also I used to do competitive ballroom dancing when I was in college and the years in between college and law school. I'm totally addicted.

Anyway, I've totally been enjoying this season. I think the dancers may be the strongest overall of any of the seasons. I'm fairly confident that the final two couples are going to be Sabrina & Mark and Helio & Julianne. They're just heads above the others.

But the remaining stars are pretty darn good, too. So, who do you think is next to get voted off? (Mel B from the Spice Girls, Helio Castroneves, Jennie Garth, Cameron Mathison, Marie Osmond, Sabrina Bryan from the Cheetah Girls, or Jane Seymour?)

I wasn't surprised that Mark Cuban left this week. His I Dream of Jeannie routine was adorable, but definitely not as good as the others. I'm surprised he last as long as he did.

Jane Seymour is elegant and gorgeous, but there's just something so, well, boring about her dances. There, I said it. They're kinda boring. And way too safe. She hasn't taken any risks at all.

Comment and you're entered to win a copy of my e-book, SHE'S GOT LEGS!

2007-10-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

Does the person you love...

* Track all of your time?
* Constantly accuse you of being unfaithful?
* Prevent you from working or attending school?
* Discourage your relationships with family and friends?
* Criticize you for little things?
* Anger easily when drinking or using other drugs?
* Control all finances and force you to account in detail for what you spend?
* Humiliate you in front of others?
* Destory personal propoerty or sentimental items?
* Hit, punch, slap, kick, or bite you or the children?
* Use or threaten to use a weapon against you?
* Threaten to hirt you or the children?
* Forece you to have sex against your will?

If you find yourself saying yes to any of these, IT'S TIME TO GET HELP.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past several years, you undoubtedly know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, it's also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

I wish these two important issues didn't share a month. I'm so happy that breast cancer no longer holds the stigma that it once had and that every year researchers come closer to finding a cure. But domestic violence is also a pervasive disease that can affect anyone at anytime.

We need to find a cure for this disease, as well.

There's one little way that you can make a difference. By purchasing the
Dreams & Desires anthology from Freya's Bower, you help abused women and children. All proceeds -- that's 100% of the profit because all stories, editing, and cover art was donated -- will be donated to a battered women's shelter in Florida. We'll be putting out a second volume in February 2008, with all proceeds going to a shelter in California. This will be an annual project.

So buy a copy today. You get great stories by some fantastic women writers and help out an important cause.

For the month of October, all formats (ebook, trade paperback, hardcover) are discounted at http://www.freyasbower.com/content/view/132/77. The book is also available in stores and on Amazon.com but you'll only receive the discount through the publisher directly.

2007-07-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

Headed Out of the Country

I leave work in 30 minutes. I'm meeting my mom at the Metro station near my office (she's taking a cab to the station) and we'll take the train to the airport, should only take about 10 minutes.

Our first flight is at 4:25, and we land in Raleigh/Durham at 5:30, then we leave RDU at 6:35. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep...I hate overnight flights as I'm always massively jetlagged the next day.

We'll arrive in London at 7 am.

Should be a fairly low-key day...the British Museum, the BBC, drinks with a writing friend, and then we're seeing "The Complete Works of Shakespeare."

Anyway, next time I post, it'll be from my hotel in London. Cheerio!

2007-07-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Two Days in Paris

Actually, I'll be spending 5 days in Paris. "Two Days in Paris" is just the name of the movie I saw last night.

I was very fortunate to get two tickets to the DC premiere of Julie Delpy's new movie (she wrote, directed, and starred), "Two Days in Paris." To celebrate the premiere, the French Embassy here in DC held a reception and screening. French wine and cheese and a movie, what more can you ask for?

Anyway, she was at the reception and she seems really cool. She's one of those beautiful women who you can tell don't really work at it or care...she went outside to get some fresh air, and because it was humid, she pulled her hair up into a messy knot with a ponytail holder. Gotta love starlets who don't primp and preen.

Of course, she let her hair out of the knot before she walked into the screening room to address the audience. LOL!

I've loved her as an actress ever since I saw her in "Before Sunrise" (and then later that year, I watched "Europa Europa" in my "European Cinema in Conflict" class...yes, we had some totally b-s classes at Duke...). "Before Sunrise" is such a good movie, don't you think? Very talky, but who doesn't love a movie where a guy and girl meet on their last night in a gorgeous European city and decide to just spend the entire night together?

*sigh*

Anyway, back to "Two Days in Paris." Julie Delpy wrote and directed it, and also starred as Marion, a French photographer who lives in NY. In the movie, she brings her American germophobe boyfriend (played brilliantly by Adam Goldberg) back home with her to Paris. He doesn't speak French, her parents don't speak English. And they keep running into her old boyfriends.

The tagline for the movie is "He knew Paris was for lovers. He just didn't realize they were all hers."

VERY funny movie, but it might not appeal to all. It's not your typical romantic comedy. It's more offbeat and cerebral, but a very touching ending. Very indie film.

And the best part is that I'll be in Paris one week from tomorrow!!!!!!!!

2007-07-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

London Calling...

I leave for London 1 week from today! Can you tell I'm psyched?

Seriously, my brother is The. Best. Brother. Ever. I'm serious. It was awesome of him to be studying in Paris this summer, so I can go visit him without paying for a hotel.

Anyway, Mom and I are flying into London because it was $1200 to fly roundtrip from DC to Paris, yet it was $700 if we flew an open jaw trip (DC to London, then the return is Paris to DC). Go figure. So by saving $500 per ticket, we get to go to London. Even with paying for two nights of a hotel room in London, sightseeing in London, show tickets in London (we're seeing "Fame" and "The Complete Works of Shakespeare"), and the Eurostar train tickets from London to Paris, we're still coming out well ahead.

It's basically a free trip to London!

Which is awesome, because I've never been to London. I've been all over Western Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, Germany, Belgium) but have never made that jump across the Channel. I'm really looking forward to it, even if it's just for two days.

And then 5 nights in Paris!!!! Whoo-hoo! OK, maybe 4 nights in Paris, because we might spend a night in Giverny.

This will be my 5th trip to Paris, but I'm no less excited for this one than for any of the other times I've been there. OK, maybe a little less excited than the time I went there for 4 months to study at the Sorbonne...

2007-07-06T07:53:00.001-07:00

Not going to Nationals? Don't worry...Romance Divas is doing the next best thing!

Romance Divas announces the first annual "Not Going to Nationals Cyber Conference" from July 11-15, right on the forum. Best of all, it's FREE!

Just register for Romance Divas--membership is free, you just need to sign up! www.romancedivas.com if you have trouble with registration email night.diva.maria (at) gmail (dot) com

There will be workshops, Q&As, and giveaways each day. All you have to do is participate!!!!

Schedule:

July 11:
Workshop: PC Cast and Kristin Cast (topic TBA)
PCCast.net
Q&A: Erotic romance with Portia da Costa and Madelynne Ellis
PortiaDaCosta.com
MadelynneEllis.com

July 12:
Workshop: Book Signing 101: Tips to Help Make your Signing a Success by Jackie Kessler JackieKessler.com
Q&A: Legal Issues for Writers by Amanda Brice
AmandaBrice.com

July 13:
Workshop: What to Expect After You Sign the Contract by Marley Gibson
MarleyGibson.com
Q&A: TBA (either with an agent from the Larsen-Pomada Agency or a panel on multi-cultural romance)

July 14: Workshop: Sasha White (topic TBA)
http://www.sashawhite.net/
Q&A: How To Write Both YA and Adult Romance by Berta Platas
BertaPlatas.com

July 15:
Workshop: Trim That Fatty Writing! by Rhonda Stapleton
RhondaStapleton.net>
Q&A: TBA (either with an agent from the Larsen-Pomada Agency or a panel on multi-cultural romance)

We also have loads of great giveaways, including books, critiques, coaching, and more!

2007-06-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

An Interview with Diana Peterfreund

UNDER THE ROSE, the sequel to her fabulous debut SECRET SOCIETY GIRL, was released yesterday.

I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of the book and let me tell you, it was fan-freakin-tastic! I couldn't put it down!

So today I'm chatting with my WRW buddy Diana Peterfreund.

Amanda: Welcome Diana! Congrats on the release. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Diana: I have blonde hair and blue eyes, and I like puppy dogs and long walks on the beach... LOL! I grew up in Tampa Bay, Florida, and went to college at Yale, where I studied geology and literature.

After I graduated, I worked as a food critic and events editor for a alternative weekly newspaper in my hometown, and traveled extensively through Australia and New Zealand (often by thumb). Now I live in Washington D.C. with my partner, code name Sailor Boy, and write full time. (We don't have a puppy dog because our apartment complex won't let us, and
the last time we went to the beach, there was a hurricane.)

In my spare time, I'm addicted to Netflix, I love blogging(http://dianapeterfreund.blogspot.com/), and I volunteer at the National Zoo watching Golden Lion Tamarins. If you stop by, say hi!

I'm also on the board of two RWA chapters: Chick Lit Writers of the World, and (soon to be) Washington Romance Writers. Let's see, what else? I'm going to three weddings this summer...

Amanda: Sounds like you're "at that age" where every time you turn around, there's another wedding! LOL! Anyway, how did you begin writing?

Diana: I'm one of those folks who was always writing. back in grade school when we were given "put this vocab word in a sentence" assignments, I wrote short stories with vocab words instead. After I graduated from college, I decided to actually write a novel instead of just thinking about doing it "someday." I knew about organizations like RWA, but decided that before I invested what little money I had into membership, I needed to prove that it was worth it by actually finishing a whole book.

Which I did.

It... wasn't very good, but completing it was one of the most amazing feelings I ever had. For me, finishing a WHOLE NOVEL was the real challenge. After that, I knew that the only thing that stood in my way was writing a good one. So I joined RWA to help me learn how. I wrote four novels before I got it right.

Amanda: Well, having read both your published novels, I can say you definitely did get it right. Speaking of your novels, UNDER THE ROSE has a sex scene, whereas SECRET SOCIETY GIRL didn't. Why the change, and how did you prepare for writing this scene?

Diana: SECRET SOCIETY GIRL didn't have a sex scene because it wasn't an important part of the story. It was never an active decision on my part not to include sex in that story. It just wasn't the interesting part of her interaction with her lover. In UNDER THE ROSE, sex is a far more important part of the relationship, so it made sense to include it.

I teased my editor that it was "a glass of wine and Prince on the iTunes" that helped me write it. Though I'd written four (unpublished) romance novels, all of which had sex scenes, I'd never written a sex scene from a first person POV before. It poses an interesting challenge. There was some danger, I thought, of it sounding a little bit TMI to hear "and then he did this to me, and then I did that to him" which is something I never thought of in third person. The key for me was to keep it in Amy's voice, and in the confessional tone of the book. Even in those circumstances, there are things that Amy won't say, and there are ways that she'll say certain other things. For instance, Amy's mind works in lists, always, so there is even a list in the sex scene.

Amanda: Yeah, I found that particularly hilarious! So, how do you find your inspiration?

Diana: Everywhere. I love playing "what if" in different situations. Sometimes, a line from a song or a movie or just something I overhear on the street will lodge in my mind, like grit in an oyster, and a story idea will start from there. I got the idea for SECRET SOCIETY GIRL because one night that movie, THE SKULLS, was on TV (we used to make fun of it in
school) and I wondered why no one ever wrote a book about secret societies the way they REALLY were. So I decided to do it.

Amanda: Spill it...how close to reality is fictional Eli University?

Diana: Pretty much everything except for the names! The geography is almost identical, and the culture and lifestyle at "Eli" is pretty much exactly the same as it is at Yale. It's one of those "change the names to protect the innocent" deals. And of course, calling it Eli instead of Yale means that I CAN Change things for the purposes of fiction without feeling guilty about corrupting my beloved alma mater. The mix of fact and fiction is one of my favorite things about being a novelist, and I've gotten letters from folks saying that XYZ I wrote about is clearly
not true (when it is) as well as comments from secret society members wondering who told me about ABC when I made it up! But my favorite letters are the ones from people who said I made them feel nostalgic for their college days.

Amanda: And you know what? Besides the sharp observations and witty writing, that's probably what I love best about your books. It makes me feel like I'm back at Duke, even though we clearly didn't have secret societies or anything like in the book, but you totally took me back there anyway. Good job!

Anyway, switching topics, you recently sold a young adult novel to Harper Collins about a teenage virgin descendant of Alexander the Great who slays killer unicorns. Talk about high concept! How did you get the idea?

Diana: I don't actually have a good answer for you on that one. It's not an idea that came all at once, but slowly, over a period of years, with each little piece clicking into place after much thought. I know I was interested in the concept of virginity and who decides what that means, and I was also interested in the different myths of the unicorn worldwide, but I don't know what the original piece of grit was, though, that started me down that path.

Amanda: Well, I'll definitely be looking forward to reading it when it's released! So, what's next for you?

Diana: I've published two novels with Bantam Dell: SECRET SOCIETY GIRL and UNDER THE ROSE, as part of a four book series about Amy Haskel and her adventures in the Ivy League secret society Rose & Grave. The third book, tentatively titled RITES OF SPRING (BREAK), will be out next summer, and that takes up the bulk of my writing time.

In addition, I'm in the non-fiction anthology EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING A GIRL I LEARNED FROM JUDY BLUME, edited by Jennifer O'Connell and out
now from Pocket Books. And then the unicorn book is due next year, and oh, yeah. I'm getting married this fall.

Thanks so much for having me, Amanda!

And thanks so much for being here, Diana! You're definitely busy, that's for sure! So, readers, buy UNDER THE ROSE. You won't regret it!

2007-06-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

It's That Time of Year, Folks...

A few months back, I blogged about the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case and the limits of free speech. A bunch of my readers got very riled up, on both sides of the issue.

http://amandabrice.blogspot.com/2007/03/bong-hits-4-jesus-i-must-admit-that.html

Anyway, like the title of this entry says, it's that time of year. It's late June, so it's time for a whole rash of Supreme Court decisions before they go on recess.

Today we got the ruling in this school free speech case, in a split 5-4 decision:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19414576/

Chief Justice Roberts wrote the opinion for the Court, that schools may prohibit student expression that can be interpreted as advocating drug use.

I'm really not suprised at all, looking at precedent on free speech for students cases.

What do you think?

2007-06-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

When Did My Life Become a Chick Lit Novel?

A few weeks ago, I blogged about when I locked myself out of the house but stuck inside the screen porch. That was so freaking hilariously funny apparently...to other people. Not to me. At least not at the time.

Now I do think it's funny, but it wasn't at the time.

A few days ago, I did something equally dumb and deserving of a scene in a chick lit novel. It all started when I joined the gym at work. Completely inoccuous and good, right?

Wrong.

I wanted to go to yoga class after work on Thursday but I was runing late, so I decided to change in my office rather than in the locker room. I locked the door, closed the shades, and changed.

All good.

I don't work on Fridays, but I came in on Sunday briefly to get some work done on an appeal brief. When I got into my office, I discovered a stack of cases on my chair, obviously put their by my boss after he reviewed them (sad to say that there was a lot of red on them...grrr...).

So I picked them up so I could sit down, only to discover a...

...black bra!

Yup, evidently I have a thing for leaving unmentionables in my office. So yeah, my boss definitely saw my bra when he came into my office on Friday to drop off cases. The fact that he covered it up with the files pretty much establishes that as a fact.

For those blog readers who know my boss, you'll definitely find this story kinda funny yet distrurbing at the same time. For those of you who don't know my boss, I'm sure you'll just find it funny.

I, for one, find it humiliating.

But anyway, yeah. So when did I become a chick lit heroine? Because it seems like I'm getting more and more fodder for funny scenes just in my real life...

But it brings up a good point. I guess the reason I realte to chick lit so well is because the heroines are real. They're goofy, they do dumb things. So I can laugha nd look at them and say, "At least I'm not that neurotic/messed up/dumb/goofy."

Only, apparently I am...

2007-06-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Today I'm chatting with one of my Book Cents sisters, Jennifer Colgan/Bernadette Gardner. She's got several books out this summer, including La Mirage, which came out from Samhain yesterday.

Amanda: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Jennifer/Bernadette: I've been married for fifteen years to my best friend. We met at a Star Trek convention in 1990. I have two children and a spoiled Dalmatian. The latter keeps me company while I write and reminds me to get away from the computer now and then to give him treats and let him outside.

Amanda: How did you begin writing?

Jennifer/Bernadette: When I was ten years old, one of my friends wanted to be a writer like her grandfather. She actually got me into writing stories and I've been doing it ever since. She eventually gave up writing, but the dream stuck with me and here I am a number of decades later still making up stories.

Amanda: What are your upcoming books about?

Jennifer/Bernadette: I have a number of releases coming out this summer, one from each of my four publishers in fact. La Mirage will be available from Samhain Publishing on June 15th. It's a contemporary erotic romance with a paranormal twist and will be released as part of Samhain's Midsummer Night's Steam anthology series. Writing as Bernadette Gardner I have Rogue Theta, a spicy science fiction adventure from Ellora's Cave set for June 22nd. This my first release from EC so I'm really excited about joining the amazing group of authors over there. In July, I have another sizzling science fiction adventure called U-4EA, due to be released as part of the Space Truckin' Pax anthology from Amber Quill Press, and later in July, New Concepts Publishing will be releasing Hunter's Mate, a follow up story to my very first published novella, Hunter's Moon. Also hot science fiction romance [Bernadette's specialty] Hunter's Mate follows the daughter of the characters I introduced in Hunter's Moon in 2005.

Amanda: How do you find your inspiration?

Jennifer/Bernadette: I get inspiration from everywhere. Television, music, even the news. Everything I hear or see tends to make me wonder 'what if...?' and ideas come from there.

Amanda: I'm hoping my agent will find homes for two single-title paranormals I've written this past year and I have a number of spicy novellas and short stories planned to keep Bernadette busy for the summer.

2007-06-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Time's Running Out to Enter the Stiletto!!!!

If you're a chick lit writer who hasn't signed a contract with an RWA-approved publisher in the last 5 years, then here's the contest for you. But act quick, because the deadline is THIS FRIDAY!!!!!

First-place winners in each category will be entered into a lottery to receive a detailed critique of their submission by either agent Christina Hogrebe (Jane Rotrosen Agency) or editor Diana Szu (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press). In addition, the overall highest scoring entry will receive a free enrollment in Cathy Yardley’s (WILL WRITE FOR SHOES: HOW TO WRITE A CHICK LIT NOVEL) online course “How to Write Chick Lit.”

Entries must be received by June 15, 2007. In addition to the special prizes for finalists, randomly selected entrants will receive a complimentary copy of Cathy Yardley’s how-to book, WILL WRITE FOR SHOES.

Finalists will be notified by August 25, 2007 and will be given the opportunity to revise their entry prior to forwarding to the final judges. Winners will be notified by November 5, 2007.

In the preliminary round, entries will be judged by two (2) qualified judges - Chick Lit Writers members experienced in critiquing and/or published authors of the genre. Large score discrepancies will be sent to a third judge. All entrants will receive detailed score sheets and judges’ comments from the preliminary round. Top four (4) entries in each category will move on to the final round.

The final judges will rank the top four finalists in each category: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Honorable Mention. We have an impressive array of chick lit friendly agent and editor judges for the final round who are excited and anxious to read your entries. (Each finalist entry will be judged by an agent AND an editor!)

Classic Chick Lit/Lady Lit
Editor: Kathryn Lye (Red Dress Ink)
Agent: Lois Winston (Ashley Grayson Literary Agency)

Chick Thrill
Editor: Leah Hultenschmidt (Dorchester)
Agent: Paige Wheeler (Folio Literary Management)

Paranormal Chick Lit
Editor: Anne Groell (Bantam Dell Publishing Group)
Agent: Kristen Nelson (Nelson Literary Agency)

Inspirational Chick Lit
Editor: Krista Stroever (Steeple Hill Café)
Agent: Mary Sue Seymour (The Seymour Agency)

Young Adult Chick Lit
Editor: Kristin Daly (Harper Collins)
Agent: Kelly Ferrara (Book Cents Literary Agency)

Red Hot Chick Lit
Editor: Hilary Sares (Kensington Aphrodisia)
Agent: Roberta Brown (Brown Literary Agency)

More details at: http:www/chicklitwriters.com/contest.htm

2007-06-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

An Interview with Agent Christine Witthohn

Remember when interviews with authors and editors were a regular feature of my blog? Well, I'm hoping to get back to that, starting with today's fabulous interview with agent Christine Witthohn of Book Cents Literary Agency.

Amanda: Welcome Christine! Tell us something about yourself.

Christine: I am one of eight children in a highly competitive, but very supportive Italian family. To give you an example of how competitive... one of my sisters was on "Survivor" (Guatemala).I went to school for 16 years studying biology, chemistry and nursing before moving onto medicine.

I am married to my soul-mate. I love to read and I love to travel (and it's a good thing).My office is in Charleston, WV, however I spend one week a month in New York (I grew up in NY and still have family there) and I attend at least one writer's conference a month.

Amanda: How did you get your start as an agent?

Christine: After the sudden death of my father (the patriarch of our immediate and extended family, as well as my ROCK), I decided I didn't want to work in a hospital setting. He was sick for only 5 (emotionally draining) weeks before we lost him to pancreatic cancer.

Everything I had done up to that point in my life was to further my medical career, but I needed a change. I have always been an avid reader (a hobby both my hubby and I share) and secretly I am also a writer. I know the excitement and the sense of accomplishment writers feel when they finally finish typing "the end". I also understand the ups and downs of putting a story together, trying to make time to write and getting writer's block. However, truth be known... I haven't written anything new for a few years now (I just don't have the time).

For as long as I can remember, my fantasy "dream job" was one where I could help people get their stories into print - hence, my logo: "Turning Your Words Into Books" (book or screenplay). Strangely enough, I started on the film side of the business before moving over the the literary side.

To be competitive, I studied the industry and market for four and a half years. Because my hubby is an attorney and could support us, I had the luxury of traveling back and forth to NY and Los Angeles to develop and nurture important industry contacts. I'm very proud of all my hard work and my strong contacts with all the major NY publishing houses, as well as several big production companies.

Amanda: What has been the most challenging part of opening your own agency?

Christine: Since I opened my agency's doors for business in September of 2006, things have just taken off at a warp speed. I think I would have to say the most challenging part of my job is... trying to juggle my travel schedule, getting through the writer's queries/submissions in a timely manner and being available to my clients at a moments's notice (after all, there is only one of me). First and foremost, my priorities are with my clients and their writing careers.I have a very close relationship with all my clients and I truly adore each and every one of them on a personal level. My response time to them is immediate.

I have never been afraid of hard work and anyone who knows me, can attest to that fact. I'm not afraid to get dirty and I like to jump into the trenches with my clients when they need me.I am ultra organized and I run a tight ship. I like things to run smoothly, but my job requires me to juggle the unpredictable (late/cancelled flights, deadline changes, client's needs, computer crashes, etc.). As far as queries and submissions... I go out of my way to be approachable and make myself available to writers. I try to participate in all festivities at most of the writer's conferences I attend and I never leave early. I encourage people to introduce themselves to me at conferences and I always make time for them when they do.

I also read EVERYTHING that a writer submits to me (good or bad) - I don't want to miss anything :)

My ideal turn around times are: for an e-QUERY - one to five days; for an e-PARTIAL/e-FULL - four weeks, but this is becoming increasingly harder and harder to do. The amount of submissions I have been receiving, has far exceeded even my own expectations!

I always heard the horror stories, but now I can state with certainty... they're all true!

Amanda: What are you looking for in a potential client and/or story?

Christine: Quite simply... Good writing. I have to love their writing. I personally am of the belief - an agent can't SELL a story they don't love.

I tend to get very excited about my client's writing and it shows when I'm selling their stories to a publisher. Also, before I take on a client... I interview them. If I don't feel I have a good rapport with a person, I won't take them on. I usually go with my "gut" on that one. I'm not looking for quantity, I look for quality. I expect all my writers to work as hard as I do. We become a team, so we must be able to work well together. If I'm going to bust my behind, I want to know that my client is willing to do the same. I'm also in this for the long haul, so I'm really not interested in a writer who only has one story and doesn't want to make writing a career.

Amanda: Any particular projects you're most excited about (besides mine, of course)? ;)

Christine: Yes! Several.

Creative Works:I have a client with a four book series of Humorous Women's Fiction I am really excited about. I'm also excited to report - several big names in Hollywood are also eyeballing her. I have another client who used to write Romance, but now has moved to the dark side and has a kick-butt Thriller I am about to unleash on a few big publishing houses. Lastly, I have several publishers chomping to see a three book saga, which was described as... Indiana Jones meets The Mummy meets The Lord of the Rings. Folks... this kid is brilliant! (He's also so cute you could eat him up, as well as available - to all you nice and well established gals out there :) What? I told you I adore my clients.

Agency News: This news has not yet been announced (so you are the first to hear it)... Book Cents Literary Agency will soon have their own Foreign Rights Office, as well as their own Film Rights Office. These offices and their services will not only be available to our clients, but to other agents and agencies. I'm so excited! My goal has always been to be able to take care of all our clients needs. Now it's going to be possible.

Also, a pet project I have been working on and helping to promote is the fourth annual International Women's Fiction Festival, being held in Matera, Italy - Sept. 27-30, 2007. To find out more information about the Festival, please visit: www.womensfictionfestival.com. This festival celebrates women who tell stories. Whether, on the big screen, in a book or in a song. Attendees will have access to top industry professionals in the European Markets/Foreign Rights (English, French, German, Italian), Film makers, Singers/Songwriters, Agents and Editors. Here are just a few names of people who will be in attendance: Nicholas Sparks, Cherry Adair, Sofia Coppola, Josephine Hart, Barbara Samuel and many more. This is a little known fact, but most authors make more money on their foreign sales than they do on their domestic sales.So all you authors out there who are already published and want to increase your international sales - this conference is for YOU!

Thank you for having me Amanda!

2007-06-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica pics!!!!!

It took a good portion of the day, but I've finally uploaded the pics to Shutterfly. Since I have zero HTML talent, I'm just going to paste the links in here instead of trying to put pretty pictures in my blog.

Hopefully if I get some time tomorrow, I'll do a recap. Suffice it to say that Costa Rica is lovely and awesome, which you'll see from the pics. But they don't even BEGIN to capture how great it was!

Here's the Shutterfly albums...
First batch of them: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome...0AbsmThs0bNWLso

Second batch: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome...0AbsmThs0bNWLug

2007-06-07T14:28:00.001-07:00

Back From Costa Rica!

I'm tired. Very tired, but we had a wonderful time! I'm tan, which is a treat in itself (I usually burn or stay pale, but I actually tanned even with 50 SPF on--LOL!).

The nature was undescribably beautiful. If you ever get the chance to go, do it. AWESOME trip.

I'll try to download pictures soon, and then will do a recap.

Only downer was that I came home to a zillion and one emails when I got to work today (bitter that I had to come in instead of lounging on the beach in paradise), one of which was another rejection letter for my YA. :(

2007-05-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Damn you and your fantastic writing...

You know when you pick up a fan-freakin-tastic book and it's so good that you just can't put it down, no matter how busy you are and how much you have to get done?

Happened to me this weekend. I'm supposed to be unpacking and organizing and straightening in the new house because we leave for a 10-day vacay on Sunday, but no, instead I decided to read an ARC of my friend Diana Peterfreund's book UNDER THE ROSE.

Wow. That's all I can say--WOW!!!

If you haven't read her first book, SECRET SOCIETY GIRL, well, then you simply must do so, post-haste. It's great. Well, it gets even better in the sequel, UNDER THE ROSE.

Without giving anything away, SECRET SOCIETY GIRL is the story of Amy Haskel, a Eli University (which is bizarro-Yale) undergrad who's one of the first ever women tapped into the ultra-selective and ultra-secretive Rose and Grave secret society.

Anyway, the writing is brilliant and even though I went to another school with blue in the colors, I totally was brought back to my college days and actually longed to be back on campus. Diana's writing was so vivid and really brings you into the pages as you cheer on Amy.

I can't wait for her third book, RITES OF SPRING!

2007-05-18T06:50:00.001-07:00

Moving Truly Sucks

I am exhausted today. Truly exhausted. I just spent the last two days away from work, schlepping boxes and bags from the apartment to the house. Oh, and shredding paper, throwing things away, and making more trips to Goodwill to donate things than I can even count.

And every part of my body is sore now. At least there's a whirlpool tub in my new master bath...I'm sure I'll be puting that to good use.

But we now have EVERYTHING out. We've been moving things over slowly for about the past month, but now finally it's done.

Of course, the decorating scheme of the house is now "early box" because you can barely walk through the living room without tripping over boxes. It's horrendous.

Anyway, I got a later start on moving on Wednesday than I'd planned. Why? Well, I locked myself out of the house, but trapped inside the screen porch.

Yeah, only I could manage that. I'd been leaving the bottom lock (on the doorknob) unlocked, and just using the deadbolt on the door from our living room to the screen porch. So I assumed I could go out there to break down cardboard boxes with no problem.

Um, no. Mr. Brice had locked the botoom lock without telling me, so the door locked behind me. Needless to say, he'd already left for work and I didn't have my keys or a cell phone out there. And there's no door from the screen porch to the backyard. If you're stuck out there, you're also trapped inside the porch.

I had no idea what I was going to do. Finally after 15 minutes, a woman came by, walking her dog. I called out to her "Excuse me! Can you help me? Do you have a cell phone?" I'm sure she thought I was nuts.

She didn't have a cell phone, but she offered to knock on some of my neighbors' doors. Of course, nobody was home. Grrr...

So she left.

About 5 minutes later, one of my neighbors pulled up across the street, so I yelled at the top of my lungs so he could hear me. He looked all around him, not able to figure out where his name was coming from. Finally, he strains his eyes to see a shadowy figure on a screen porch.

He walked over, laughted hysterically after I told him my predicament, and then dug his cell phone out so I could call Mr. Brice at work and ask him to come home. Fortunately the new house is just a 15 minute walk from the office, so about 20 minutes later, Mr. Brice came and let me out.

Needless to say, he was not amused.

2007-05-06T14:57:00.001-07:00

I heard the BEST news today! Gemma Halliday's double RITA nominated novel, Spying in High Heels, is in development for a television series on the USA Network!!!

It’s currently one of five new shows being developed for their fall 2007/2008 season. Spying in High Heels follows shoe designer Maddie Springer, who in an effort to track down her missing boyfriend, realizes that her knack for fashion also serves another purpose: it makes her a great detective.

Maddie's uniquely female perspective helps her pick up clues, using her designer's eye to discern tell tale shapes, colors and patterns, among other things. Along with her best friend Dana, an out-of-work actress, Maddie decides to open a detective agency operating out of her stepfather's hair salon.

Not all shows in development make it to the air, but this one should! If you want to see Maddie and Ramirez on the small screen, write to the USA Network and tell them you heard about SPYING IN HIGH HEELS and can’t wait to watch it. Or, if you’ve read the book and liked it, tell them that, too! Contact the programming department at the USA Network:feedback@usanetwork.com

In the meantime, read up on Gemma's books, including Undercover in High Heels & Killer in High Heels.

2007-05-05T05:19:00.000-07:00

The Prodigal Blogger Returns (or, Happy Birthday to me)...

OK, OK, I know. It's been, well, FOREVER, since the last time I blogged. Mea culpa. March and April were just so beyond busy for me, that I couldn't get on here.

But I'm back. And today I turn 30.

Yup, I now have a 3 in front of my age. It's the start of my fourth decade on the planet, and I'm officially no longer a kid playing grownup.

Lots of stuff has happened since I last blogged (no, I didn't sell CODENAME, but hopefully that's on the horizon). Probably the biggest is that Mr. Brice and I bought a house. A real house, too, and if you're from the DC area, you'll know what a big deal that is. We had an insanely short closing, and we're still moving in, but we plan to spend our first night in the house tonight.

I'm also on the negotiating team at work, negotiating the new performance appraisal plan for the incoming attorneys. It's a lot of work, but it's something different to do (I'm not doing my normal job as a result of this). We reached impasse and are going to mediation, starting Monday.

Also starting Monday, I'm teaching an online class on basic intellectual property law that writers should know. You can find out more details and sign up at: www.neorwa.com under "online workshops." As an added bonus, I'm donating my entire fee that NEORWA is paying me (which is 50% of all collected registration fees) to the Romance Divas Scholarship Fund, to pay for a well-deserving member to attend RWA Nationals.

Anyway, it's my birthday, so this means presents. Presents for you, that is.

I'm running an impromptu contest. Send an email by midnight your time zone to contest@amandabrice.com and you're automatically entered to win a free copy of my mini-ebook, SHE'S GOT LEGS.

2007-03-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Bong Hits 4 Jesus!

I must admit that this title cracks me up. And I do love a good First Amendment case as much as the next girl. But I really scratched my head when I read about the case the U.S. Supreme Court heard yesterday.

I don't know if you've been following it, but a high school student in Alaska put up a 14-ft banner proclaiming "Bong hits 4 Jesus" across the street from his school. His principal suspensed him on the basis that his banner promoted drug use and disrupted the school environment.

I'm very free speech-protective (something I have in common with my least favorite Justice, Antonin Scalia, actually...it makes me feel dirty when I side with him on a case) and although I've never used drugs, I'm certainly no fan of the "war on drugs" (although I believe that the state has a right to regulate/make it illegal for minors), but I'm honestly surprised this case actually made it to the Supreme Court. There's a long history of precendent in support of limiting student's right to free speech in a school environment, and to be honest, I tend to agree.

Anyway, the court could rule for the student if it determines that he was (as is his contention) conducting a free-speech experiment using a nonsensical messages that contained no pitch for drug use.

Chief Justice John Roberts seemed to be saying that he sided with the principal: "I thought we wanted our schools to teach something, inclduing something besides just basic elements, including the character formation and not to use drugs."

But Justic David Souter may be siding with the student: "It sounds just like a kid's provocative statement to me."

Kenneth Starr represented the principal in the oral argument yesterday. He argued that school officials are perfectly within their rights to curtail student speech that advocates drug use. He was joined by the Bush administration for asking the court to adopt a broad rule that could essentially give public schools the right to clamp down on any speech with which they disagree. But this argument didn't appear to have widespread support among the justices.

While I certainly wouldn't go anywhere near that far, the precedents are clear that students don't enjoy true free speech in school, and I agree that they should not. Students enjoy a limited free speech, but schools are within their rights to limit this freedom.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the justices hold.

What are your thoughts? Is this a free speech issue? Should students be able to put up such a banner? Was the principal right?